My ancestry traces from Irish, Scottish, English, South African, and New Zealand Pakeha and Maori roots. According to my whakapapa (Maori family tree) I am descended from Hone Heke, and from the Maori tribes of Ngapuhi, Ngati Awa, and Ngati Pukenga, and my ancestors came to Aotearoa (New Zealand) on the Matarahurahu waka (canoe).

I was born on 2 May 1973in Auckland, New Zealand, and moved to Australiawith my parents at the age of 5. I attended "The Southport School" in Queensland, Australia, and graduated from year 12 in 1989 with a 985 TE score. After a health crisis in which I was taken out of school for several months, I studied and used alternative health disciplines to regain my health from the age of 13. I then decided to study them formally, informally, and eventually in a post-graduate setting.

In 1990 I studied Zen Shiatsu with the AustralianSchoolof Eastern Medicine and Arts, under Rod Berger, and was awarded a Certificate. Later I trained with Mareko Kasugai, and eventually was invited to help demonstrate and teach classes. She also introduced me to Jukyo-Jitsu; a set of traditional corrective exercises. She studied directly under Shizuto Masanaga, the Japanese Shiatsu grand master.

From the age of about 13 to 15 years I studied Seven Star Qi Gong, Iron Shirt Qi Gong, and Chen-style Taijiquan (Breathing and Physical Regenerative Exercises), with Master Jirong Zhang in Brisbane. I eventually travelled to Chinawith him in 1991, and met his teachers, Master Ma and Master Du, and his teacher's teacher, Grandmaster Feng Zhi Qiang.

In 1990 I enrolled in a full-time course in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and also a full-time course in Naturopathy, at the Academyof Natural Therapies. I was awarded a Diploma of Remedial Therapies in 1992, and graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science (unaccredited) in Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1992, and with a Diploma of Applied Science in Naturopathy, licensed as a Naturopathic Physician in 1994.

The Diploma of Remedial Therapies consisted of training in several areas over a 3 year period, including Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Therapeutic Massage, and Soft Tissue Therapy.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine degree included training and qualification in Cupping, Moxibustion, Acupuncture, Chinese Herbalism and Diet, and Chinese Massage, as well as Health Sciences. This degree is labelled as Bachelor but the academy was not accredited at the date of issue. This degree encompasses the Diploma of Acupuncture.

Required for these last two main qualifications was training in Health Sciences. This included: anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, differential diagnosis, herbal lab research, and basic psychology.

In 1990 I was qualified by Reverend Beth Gray as a Reiki I and Reiki II channel. Reverend Beth Gray studied under the lineage of Dr Usui.

In 1991 I studied Nature Cure with Kenneth S. Jaffrey on MagneticIsland, in the last course he ever taught. This included an understanding of the Natural Radiations, Hydrotherapy, Natural Dietetics, Spinal Nerve Supply, Natural and Corrective Exercise, Iridology, and Fasting during Acute Healing Crises. Because of my young age, and the general requirement that attendance was for post-graduates, I received no certificate for my attendance.

In 1991 I was trained in the Art of Vipassana Meditation and Anapana Meditation, under the lineage of Mr Goenka of India, by his Assistant Teachers.

I trained practically with John Palmer in Ecological Living, Organic Gardening and Alternative Food Production over a number of years. I attended training in Seitai, a Japanese system of structural realignment, conducted by David Brown.

I have been researching Hydrotherapy and Breathing Techniques historically, personally, and practically, with respect to their application in detoxification, emotional release, and the healing crisis.

While a naturopathic student I attended the Hippocrates Health Centre on Queensland's Gold Coast, on a kindly offered Naturopathic Student discount rate, in Sep 1991. I eventually worked there for approximately seven years, initially as gardening manager and eventually as resident naturopath once I had graduated. I concurrently ran my own private and sometimes mobile naturopathic practise. I resigned from that position in July 2000.

In 1994 I attended both the Basic and Advanced training courses in Polarity Therapy with Jeff Campbell (designated world successor to the founder Randolph Stone) and his wife Lynn Campbell. These were near Keri Keri on the north islandof New Zealand. These were both live-in courses of 4 weeks duration, to train practitioners and instructors in Polarity Therapy.

Also in 1994, I was qualified as an instructor in Lymphology by Ian Pettit.

In 1996 I was qualified by Dr John Whitman Ray as a practitioner and instructor of Body Electronics, and Iridology-Sclerology Integrated Diagnosis. I was partially qualified as an instructor in Body Electronics and Cranial Electronics after many weeks of training.

In 1997 I was a member of the core network which started the Universal School of Holistic Healing Arts (U.S.H.H.A). There I taught 8 week self-healing courses, breathing exercise workshops, and hydrotherapy (or Body Hydropathy as it became known), and practised Shiatsu, Naturopathy, and Body Electronics.

For three consecutive years, from 1997 to 1999, I was a member of the instructing panel at the Body Electronics Instructor Training Seminars. These were live-in courses of 6 weeks, 2 months, and 6 weeks duration respectively.

I have lectured at the TAFE Academy of Natural Therapies in Hydrotherapy and co-conducted bush walks and herb identification field trips. I have been a guest lecturer for the Natural Health Society in Brisbaneand also at BondUniversity, on the Gold Coast.

I was qualified in August 1998 as a certified instructor of the International Healing Tao (since renamed Univesal Tao) in Cosmic Inner Smile, Six Healing Sounds, Microcosmic Orbit, Iron Shirt Chi Kung I, Healing Love, and Tao Yin I, by Master Mantak Chia, and attended the practitioner training in Chi Nei Tsang I, a system of abdominal bodywork.

In 1999, I travelled to Jesenik in the Czech republicto attend the 200th birthday celebrations of the founder of hydrotherapy in Europe- Vincent Priessnitz. Whilst there I liased with the hydrotherapy and alternative health professionals in the area, as well as the museum of antique rare books written about Priessnitz and his work, and began the collection of the German antique books for subsequent translation into English. I also edited and republished a biographical English work about Priessnitz called The Life of Vincent Priessnitz by Richard Metcalfe, incorporating additional chapters on modern hydrotherapy research. I ran a mobile massage, bodywork and naturopathic consultancy service with an emphasis on diet, lifestyle, exercise, and breathing techniques.

I discontinued the above business and moved to Kuala Lumpurin Malaysia. There I worked in two clinics involved with hearing and alternative medicine; one in Kuala Lumpur, and one in Ipoh. I was also involved in set-up plans for a new holistic integrated health centre in Kuala Lumpur.

In 2001, I returned to the Gold Coast, Australia, and studied a Certificate IV course in Community Work (Diversional Therapies focus) at GCIT (Ashmore Campus). I recommenced the above massage and naturopathic consultancy service, and practised on the Currumbin Beach Waterfront for a period of time, a place where I often played the Great Highland Bagpipe to the amusement of the locals and tourists!

I was concurrently employed by GECKO RECYCLE as a diversional therapist, and instructed a 19 week course in Puppetry and diversional therapy for unemployed people, funded with government assistance. During this time I frequently visited Aged Care establishments in a kilt with bagpipes and played for the lovely attendees.

I also worked in an organic foods store called Celtic Organic Fruit and Vegetables in the Elanora shopping centre.

Somewhere around this time I formed the first Australian chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation (an organisation dedicated to healthy diet and lifestyle education - more information on website www.westonaprice.org) I was involved with assisting in preparations for Sally Fallon's (the founding president's) visiting lectures on the Gold Coast, and continued my massage/bodywork business part-time.

In 2003, I completed a Permaculture Design Certificate Course with Leo Mahon, and have since instructed at several permaculture events in Brisbane, the BunyaMountains, and the Gold Coast Hinterland, in the area of Traditional Nutrition and Fermented Foods.

In 2004 I practised Naturopathy, Remedial Massage Therapy, and Traditional Nutrition Education from a centre called Living Harmony in Pimpama, in the Gold Coast Hinterland.

I had also been singing and performing professionally with a bush/celtic band called Leaping Lizards, and previously a band called Celtic Bread for several years. Celtic Bread was formed to facilitate a musical session/gathering at a local organic food outlet called the Celtic Organic Cafe in Southporton the Gold Coast. I helped conduct bush dances and performed in many different venues and settings with the Leaping Lizards over a period of 2 or 3 years.

I lived close to the land for a year or two around this time, applying permaculture principles to a property in Guanaba, in the Gold Coast Hinterland, building, fencing, earthworks, planting trees, and growing and harvesting fruits, vegetables, and eggs, chickens, ducks, gueese, etc. while playing in the above bands.

In 2005 I travelled to Vanuatuand learned a little about the traditional herbalism, farming and food production on the islands of Tanna, and Efate, and visited a farm in rural Victoriaand learned a little about sheep and cow farming first hand.

The same year, I then moved north to the Whitsunday area in Northern Queensland, and worked on an island resort spa as a massage therapist, and naturopath. I resigned from this position after approximately 2 months due to the presence of known carcinogens in the beauty/spa products that were being used and sold for very high prices. The spa management appeared non-responsive, and uncaring about the health implications to their clients and staff. At this time, I wrote the document 18 Points on Natural Skin Health and Transdermal Toxicity which is available online.

Still in 2005, I then began working from a clinic in Cannonvale, on the mainland not far from the island in question, practising Naturopathy (Iridology, Nutrition etc) and Remedial Massage Therapy (esp. Soft Tissue Therapy), from about August 2005 until May 2006.

During this time I studied Bowen Therapy, taught a day-long short course in Soft Tissue Therapy, and attended a day-long short course in Schuessler Tissue Salts, a course with the Upledger Institute in Craniosacral Therapy Level I in Christchurch, New Zealand, and a course with the Manual Therapy Institute in Patterns of Facilitation and Inhibition in the Craniocervical Region, in Melbourne, Australia.

Whilst working in Cannonvale, I developed my new health education system called Conscious Healing (www.conscioushealing.com.au) The website is in the very early stages of production. CDs are being edited, and more material is being written. Courses will eventually be made available. This may be a long-term project!

Conscious Healing incorporates Sustained Acupressure Intensive Nutrition Therapy (S.A.I.N.T.) and Body Hydropathy. For information on the origins of S.A.I.N.T. please read the online document Origins and Intent. For information on Body Hydropathy, please read the associated online documents. I believe this to be important information for the future of natural health care, but is perhaps better applied outside of the classical clinical context, and with selected individuals with a keen interest in such work. Systematic instruction in seminars and intensives is probably most appropriate.

I worked on farms in Ayr, Northern Queensland during the last half of 2006, picking, floating, boom operating, supervising, tractor haul-out and forklift driving on zucchini farm, and driving trucks and tractor with trailer on cane farms.

I returned to the Gold Coast at the end of 2006, and prepared to help run a Massage Hut at the Woodford Folk Festival, which I have done several times over the years with a wonderful group of people.

I'm now (June 2007) back in the Gold Coast Hinterland, and am once again a local chapter of the Weston A Price Foundation (www.westonaprice.org) in this area, practising health education and natural therapies part-time, and continuing to gradually work on Conscious Healing research.

I'm hoping to formulate, if possible, a way of personally interacting with clients in sessions in order to not create dependency relationships and unnecessary return visits, and unnecessary/uneconomical repeat product sales. In this way the clients can receive good value for money and have their independence validated, while receiving proper education and becoming empowered to care for themselves. I have observed that many clinics/therapists operate on the principle of encouraging as many product sales and repeat visits as possible, in order to survive financially and to pay the rent on the clinic space.

I'm with Patch Adams - profiteering, commercialism, and insurance are some of the banes of effectively helping people in a health context. Also, helping a person to develop social skills is probably far more important than creating co-dependent client relationships in order to guarantee people's addiction to therapy and their having to come back for repeat visits. The idea of all healers, ultimately, is to work themselves out of business, so that nobody needs them...otherwise the therapist is addicted to giving therapy, which liberates nobody! The client should be supported in becoming as independent as possible so they can be empowered in taking responsibility for their own lives, and their own healing.

I hope that Conscious Healing will gradually, systematically, and in a logical and prioritised sequence help individuals and groups to improve their own lives and the world at large. I am an idealist, perhaps, looking for practical ways to express these ideals.

On the musical front, I play irish tin whistle, irish low whistle, scottish smallpipes, great highland bagpipe, irish bouzouki, irish tenor banjo and a few others... I also play several different bagpipes (some very loud and some quite quiet like a loud acoustic violin) and other instruments.

I have played at; local community nights like Art Gecho (at Gecko House in Currumbin) and the Celtic Music Cafe night in Park Ave in Burleigh; the Robina Town Centre; Griffith University Rainbow Day; World Environment Day; Federation Festival, and a number of other events/establishments including restaurants/cafes/weddings/funerals/birthdays.

I was a central member of the organisational team with the Journey for two years, run by the Gold Coast Hinterland and Environment Council Organisation (GECKO), an educational, environmental, social event run for at-risk youths.

I have hosted several "musical journey around the world"'s (e.g. at community events) with Rodri (sitar player) or alone for kids and adults - educational and fun! I am interested in natural health education, sustainable living, organic food production, landscape regeneration, unusual musical instruments, celtic music, and spreading the joy of music to build community spirit.